Opening Keynote Panel: Who Owns the Customer Now? Rebalancing Marketplaces, D2C, Stores and AI Agents

Retailers now compete for the customer across marketplaces, owned channels, stores and, increasingly, AI agents that search, compare and recommend on the customer’s behalf. The question is no longer simply which channel to prioritise, but how to protect visibility, margin and the customer relationship across all of them. 

Panelists examine where each channel should play, what brands must continue to own, and how to prepare for AI-led discovery and emerging agent-led commerce.

We explore:

• What role should marketplaces, D2C and stores each play in acquisition, volume and market entry?

• How will AI-led discovery change how customers find, compare and choose products?

• What customer data, loyalty and experience capabilities must retailers own?

• How should retailers manage profitability, assortment, pricing, availability and fulfillment across channels?